Brandon Fowl
by CyberGhostface
Summary: Chapter 5, 'The Project', is now up! Brandon meets his captor, while we learn what Artemis was working on with the fairies before tragedy struck.
1. Divisons of Darkness and Light

Chapter 2  
  
Divisions of Darkness and Light  
Brandon woke up in a dark, dingy cell. He craned his head between the bars, and could see other cells stretching along the walls. He could not see the people inside, nor could he see any windows or sources of light. Looking up, the ceiling seemed to be made of dirt and grounded leaves. "Where am I?" He asked himself, when strong hands grabbed his head and threw him in the cell.  
  
"Stay put if you know what's good for ya, mud kid." Snarled a voice outside the cell. Brandon tried craning his head up but he seemed too tired to do anything but lie down.  
  
Artemis sat in the chair, not moving. He stared ahead, as if in some blank comatose state. A knock from the door jerked him back to cold, hard reality. A reality in which his only son was kidnapped.  
  
He got up from his chair and opened the door. No one was there.  
  
"Look down." Said a voice, and Artemis did. There was Holly Short. She didn't seem to have grown larger since the last time they had met, so he dwarfed her completely.  
  
"Come in," He said coolly. Holly looked at him suspiciously and stepped inside. Holly looked a bit different. Her hair was a bit longer, and Artemis noticed a gray hair or two. She looked a bit weary and tired.  
  
"Sit." He said gesturing to Holly. "And watch out for the glass." She looked down and saw what could have been a tube before it was cracked.  
  
Holly sat down in the chair. "Artemis,--"  
  
"Cut the talk. Do you know about Brandon?"  
  
"Yes. Listen--"  
  
"Was it the LEP who kidnapped him?"  
  
Holly looked a bit shocked, and redness filled her cheeks. "Artemis! We would never do something like that."  
  
"Then who did?"  
  
"Well, I can't prove this but..."  
  
"Explain."  
  
And Holly did.  
  
Since Artemis had left the LEP out of his life for good, it slowly fell apart. A group of power-seeking creatures --a mix of goblins, dwarves and elves-- formed a rebellion.  
  
The power-seeking ones called themselves the Rebellion, but the remaining members of the LEP thought them an evil race, for traitors to their government were brutally tortured and slain. Julius Root, the head of the LEP formed a codename: Divisions of Darkness and Light, for the LEP was separated into a dark group and the regular group.  
  
Artemis interrupted Holly. "Captain Short, why would the Rebellion want to have Brandon?"  
  
"I really don't know. You are kind of considered as a bogeyman of some sort to the youngsters. You were the only one to successfully kidnap one of us. Perhaps the Rebellion learned there was truth from the legend, and saw you as a power source."  
  
"Fine, but what does Brandon have to do with this?"  
  
"Does he look similar to you when you were his age in any way at all?"  
  
"Sort of. We wouldn't be identical, but there are many similarities."  
  
"Well, if he was kidnapped during the night then the kidnappers might've thought him you."  
  
"What's going on out there?" Said a voice outside the door. Holly recognized to be the voice of Juliet.  
  
"Nothing, honey." Called out Artemis. "You stay right in there for now."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Since when did you go by such names?" Inquired Holly.  
  
"Since we got married. Juliet and Butler were the only friends I had when I was younger." Holly frowned a little at this statement, but kept quiet.  
  
Brandon lay on the cot, remembering better days. He yearned to be home again, to be with his friends and family. He heard voices nearby. Trying not to look suspicious, he craned his ear out the bars. They were discussing something secret, and Brandon only heard fragments of what they were saying.  
  
"--Artemis--"  
  
"--kidnapped--"  
  
"--the weapon--"  
  
Was his father in danger? Brandon wondered as he went to lie down in his cot. Or did they mean him? 


	2. Brandon

Chapter 1  
  
Brandon  
The boy ran down the large field. His hands were outstretched, and a bit dirty. His hair was a light shade of brown, and it was matted to his head with sweat. His eyes were a light shade of blue. His shirt clung to his back.  
  
Several figures with dark shirts ran after him, panting to keep up with this person who dared steal their sacred object.  
  
"Get it in the net, Brandon!" Cried an older man, possibly the boy's father. "Get it in the net!" Artemis Fowl, among other parents, were seeing the soccer tournament in which Brandon Fowl, Artemis's son was participating. Brandon had the ball and was being chased by his opponents.  
  
The goalie, a big lout with a shaved head and a small goatee stood between Brandon and the goal. He snarled at Brandon as if challenging him. Brandon prepared for a kick toward the left side of the net, from which the goalie was blocking-  
  
--and sent it hurtling toward the right side. He did so with great agility, and all the goalie could do was grunt in surprise. Goal.  
  
Brandon's team cheered. His team had just broken a tie with the opposing team. They lifted Brandon by the back. "Brandon! Brandon! Brandon!" They cheered in unison.  
  
Brandon stepped into his father's limousine. His friends were waving to him, and Brandon waved back. They couldn't see him of course. It was a one way mirror. "Congratulations, sir." Said the tall man whom was driving the car, Butler.  
  
"Thanks." Said Brandon. Butler was always polite, but his sophisticated tone sometimes bothered him a bit. It gave Brandon a snobby feeling to him. He bet his father didn't mind when he was his age, but he didn't know. He always kept mum on his childhood.  
  
The car pulled up on a large mansion. It was the only house in miles. Artemis liked the sense of privacy that it gave him, Brandon didn't. He wanted to visit his friends, not lolly gag on the computer as Artemis spent his childhood. Butler opened the door for Brandon and bowed. Brandon walked up into the house, walked up the stairs and plopped down on the bed, exhausted.  
  
It was around midnight or so when he woke up to a loud noise downstairs. Everyone in the house was asleep. Brandon put on his slippers and tiptoed down the stairs. "Hello? Is anyone there?" He inquired into the silence. No answer. Brandon shrugged, and walked down the stairs.  
  
He heard footsteps, and hushed whispers coming from the living room. Was it dad? What would his father be doing right now in the middle of the night? What would--  
  
A scabby hand pressed itself against Brandon's mouth. Brandon jammed his elbow backward. It sank in the soft flesh of whoever was holding his mouth shut.  
  
"Geeyaargh!!" Cried the person behind him. "That hurt!" Brandon withdrew his elbow, and noticed there were red drops of blood of blood on it. It had pierced the attacker's skin.  
  
The grip loosened, but he noticed more figures, their faces concealed by darkness, come out from the kitchen. One grabbed him, while another pulled out a knife. There were dried flecks on it. Brandon knew they were certainly not rust. The face came into view. It was a horrid site, with warts and pimples covering the majority of the face. Its nose was grotesque, long and crooked. The creature held the knife to his neck.  
  
"Be quiet, damn you." It croaked its voice sounding like the frogs his father had shown Brandon at the pond outside his house. "Or I'll be slittin' ye throat."  
  
Brandon noticed the creature's large belly, and grinned. It seemed its years of self-indulgence had finally caught up with him. He kicked it's belly, causing it clutch its stomach and drop the knife. Quick as a flash, Brandon grabbed it. He held it warningly to the creatures.  
  
"Stay back." He warned, holding the bloody knife. "I don't want to do this, but if I have to, I will." Their faces changed from frightened, too an expression he knew all to well. Gloating. What would they gloat about, though? Didn't he have the upper hand? Didn't he have-  
  
Brandon felt a sharp, thin jab of pain below his left armpit. He turned around to see another creature, holding a tranquilizer needle of some sort. Brandon meant to grab it, but everything seemed to fade away, and everything was getting darker until it was pitch black.  
  
The Next Morning  
  
Artemis had a long sleep. It was a pretty perfect life, finally getting his own family and his own son. Although he longed for the days of crime, he didn't want his son caught in the crossfire by an enemy's empire. When he got up, it was 10:00 am, according to the clock beside his bed.  
  
Artemis walked down the stairs, and got the newspaper. He picked it up, when he noticed the small needle on the floor. Artemis noticed what it was at once. It was the same type of curare and succinylcholine chloride-based tranquilizer that he had injected into that fairy years ago. What was her name? It was so long ago.  
  
Holly.  
  
It was Holly.  
  
When he remembered her name, memories flashed into his head like people getting onto a train at the last minute. Everything came back. Including.  
  
Artemis dropped the tranquilizer. It seemed to fall in slow motion, the tiny bits of glass rising from the air when it shattered onto the finely polished floor. Artemis put his hands to his face. Brandon was with.them. Them. He remembered.them.  
  
Keep a hold on yourself, said a tiny voice in his head. What would the smart, sophisticated Artemis do?  
  
"What would I do?" Artemis asked himself. Answering his own question, he thought of Holly sitting in the cellar her tiny face covered by her tiny hands. He thought of Brandon, in the same exact position, chained to a bench somewhere deep in the ground.  
  
"Pay some debts." 


	3. The Mastermind

3.  
  
The Mastermind  
  
Who was responsible for this whole kidnapping mess? Why would they kidnap Brandon Fowl, son of Artemis Fowl? Did they think Brandon was Artemis? If so, why? What sort of mastermind would hate Artemis enough and not know that he aged? Who would do it?  
  
The answer is Opal Kaboi. It's not that simple however. To understand her twisted mind's view of the situation we must dig into her past.  
  
After the infamous Arctic Incident, Opal was placed in Howler's Peak. She was thrown in the same cell with some of the goblins that worked with her. They weren't too pleased with what had happened. They brutally attacked her, and when the guard opened the door to stop the ruckus the goblins set him on fire and escaped leaving Opal Kaboi in an insane, traumatized state. She did not know of this fact, and escaped a month pretending to be asleep when the guards came in to give her a required medication. She woke up and wrenched the needle from the guard's hand and jammed into his neck. He clawed at his throat but it was no use. He fell to the ground, dead. The door was wide open.  
  
Of course, an empty cell with a dead guard would attract attention. She went into hiding and slowly built her own empire, or rebellion as an anonymous figure for Artemis frequently traveled underground to work on something with fairy technology. He apparently had made a deal with them to work alongside them. If the Pixie with the Golden Touch had revealed herself, or the grand scope of the rebellion with him underground it could be messy. Or, to be more accurate, messier. It was better for her to have her own secret.  
  
Two of the already growing organization happened to be scientists, disgusted with the regulations of the LEP and decided to work for this strange figure.  
  
They also had discovered something very odd and strange in the walls. It was a very thin hole, nothing more than a slice. They believed it was a portal to another dimension, or planet. When they reported it, the media crucified them.  
  
Another reason why they joined the Rebellion.  
  
Opal Kaboi allowed them to try opening the portal. The two scientists worked day and night trying to stretch it open, not break it open. If they just crashed the wall around it, it would be a sliver in thin air. Using small, plasma-type objects they worked day and night trying to open it. While they were doing this, Opal learned the name of the planet on the other side: Gyblick.  
  
She read up on this strange place. Gyblick held many scientific geniuses. One, Dr. Peter Grenacle, was working on a strange serum that would give unlimited power.  
  
The pixie ran down to the two scientists. They looked very proud.  
  
"Ms. Kaboi, we have---" One began before Opal pushed him aside. "Can it." She looked into the hole. It was like a milky, clear liquid was dividing both planets. She put her finger in it. It quivered and opened.  
  
"Oh, my gods." She gasped. "Look at this."  
  
She stepped through the wall.  
  
Gyblick was a metropolis crowded with strange creatures of all shapes and sizes. She was looking around while walking and bumped into some humanoid creature with the head of a dog.  
  
"Watch it, lady." It snarled at her.  
  
Not wanting to cause a ruckus, she apologized.  
  
"Don't let it happen again." It said and walked off.  
  
When he was out of speaking distance she muttered "Lousy mutt."  
  
Finding Dr. Grenacle was going to be harder. She knew where to look, however. In the book, she read that he was in the top floor of a lab shaped like a giant tube. It was pretty easy to spot.  
  
Inside the elevator, she stared at the clear glass wall. She could see various scientists working hard at new inventions. She was lost in her thoughts when a small *bing* interrupted her.  
  
She stepped out and heard a curt voice say, "Yes?" She looked ahead, and sitting at the desk was a bizarre mix of the stereotypical Roswell alien and an octopus. It had the Roswell's head, but a body swarming with tentacles. The alien was a light shade of blue-green. He had a small goatee and spectacles.  
  
"Ah, er, Dr. Grenacle. I would like to know of your, ah, serum."  
  
"I'm still in the developing stages. I've included my DNA plus a growth serum and some other interesting chemicals. I'm testing it on enlarged forms of bacteria, but the results--"  
  
"I'll take it."  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"I'll take it."  
  
"You don't understand, ma'am. Its not ready for sale."  
  
"Take some risks, then."  
  
"I'm not a mad scientist. I can't, I won't tarnish my name because someone wants it."  
  
"Trust me. I'll be far away so no one will ever know. What could go wrong?"  
  
The scientist opened his mouth, but closed it when he realized it was rhetorical.  
  
"If you insist." He sighed and took a large beaker. Opal took out a fizzer and poured the serum into it.  
  
"This will be enough." She said and left the scientist alone. He rubbed his head.  
  
"What have I done?" He stared at the beaker. The fizzer barely skimmed it. Next morning, he thought he must have dreamed the whole thing. There was no guilt on his hands anymore. He was no more involved in it than an eight- year-old is when he dreams of evil bunny rabbits.  
  
Walking towards the portal, which somehow no one else noticed, she bumped into an insect-like humanoid. He opened his mouth when she snarled "Get out of the way, larvae." And he did.  
  
Back to the Underground, Opal Kaboi headed toward her room. Turning to one of her in-commands, she said, "I don't want anyone to come in here. No matter what you or anyone else hears stay out. Do you hear?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
Inside the room, Opal sat on a chair. She held the fizzer in front of her face. "To power, immortality and to life, which up 'til now has been a real bitch." She held it to her lips and drank.  
  
She dropped the fizzer on her desk and fell on the ground. Her face was sticky with sweat, her teeth gritted in total pain.  
  
She reached for the door, but it was too late. The pain was too enormous.  
  
Something bulged.  
  
"EYAAAAAAAGH!"  
  
Present  
  
Ever since she stormed into her room, no one has seen Opal Kaboi in person. The tiny slot in the door allowed her to give orders and gave the viewer a glimpse of her eyes. She waged war on the LEP and its allies, but never revealed the true plan.  
  
A tragedy occurred and Artemis and Butler retreated. As soon as they left, the Rebellion revealed its full potential. Members of the LEP turned against each other, as many of them were spies. Opal sent out a mix of trolls, goblins and other creatures. They were more in line and followed direct orders. They never squabbled nor fought among each other. They were a force to be reckoned with.  
  
One particular night, Opal called in some goblins that had worked for her during the Arctic Incident despite the treachery on her part.  
  
The slot on the door opened, revealing two beady little eyes. "You remember Artemis Fowl the Second, don't you?"  
  
They nodded.  
  
"Ever since the last encounter, he has never resurfaced. He's up to something. I can feel it."  
  
"You want us to bring 'im to ya?" One of them said.  
  
"Yes. In case you forgot, he's a 12-year-old with black hair and blue eyes. He's always guarded, so get him when he's asleep."  
  
"Uh, forgive us for saying so ma'am but wouldn't he, er, aged or sumthin'?"  
  
"You dare doubt me?" She snarled. Her eyes glowed with pure undiluted insanity.  
  
"No, ma'am but humans mature when they get older. Don't they?"  
  
"Have you ever spent time with humans?"  
  
"No, I can't say I have."  
  
"Then who are you to judge on human biology?"  
  
The goblin looked at his comrades hopelessly. "Sure, boss. We'll, er, get him right away. Piece of, ah, cake."  
  
The group parked their ship in front of the large mansion. Opal had slid in a device through the slot, saying that it could get you through Fowl Manor undetected.  
  
The leader opened the door ever so quietly. "Some house." He muttered.  
  
"Don't even think about stealing." Snarled one of the other goblins. "We just take 'Artemis' and be done with it."  
  
He looked at the wall. A long row of pictures hung. One of the goblins grabbed it and looked at it. It showed the father with raven black hair, and the mother who had blonde hair. In the middle was a grinning child; presumably their son.  
  
"Is that Artemis?" One of them asked. "Its been a while since we last encountered him."  
  
"Probably."  
  
"Looks pretty cheerful for someone who presumably is a criminal mastermind."  
  
"I'm tellin' ya, the lady's off her rocker. But we're goin' to follow orders."  
  
While he was speaking, one of the goblins fell back into the table. It fell to the floor with a crash.  
  
They heard someone upstairs groan as if they were coming awake.  
  
"Now you've done it, you clumsy ass!" Whispered one of the goblins. He carefully put it back up.  
  
"Hello?" Inquired a voice. "Is anyone there?"  
  
The goblins looked at each other. "He knows we're here!"  
  
The figure walked down the stairs. It was dark, but the silhouetted figure looked like Artemis. Could it be? Was Opal Kaboi's ranting true?  
  
One of them grabbed the boy and pulled him away. The boy jammed his elbow into the flesh, cutting into it.  
  
"Geeyaargh!!" The goblin howled. "That hurt!" He quickly pulled out a knife to silence him.  
  
"Be quiet, damn you." He threatened. "Or I'll be slittin' ye throat." Empty threats of course. Although Opal Kaboi never specified, he knew she wouldn't want a corpse. Of course, the boy didn't know that.  
  
The boy kicked him in the belly, causing the knife to drop from his hands. Quick as a flash, he grabbed it and held it towards his attacker.  
  
"Stay back." He warned, holding the bloody knife. "I don't want to do this, but if I have to, I will."  
  
The goblin at first panicked, but then grinned when another goblin behind the boy pulled out a tranquilizer. He slowly snuck up, and jammed it up the boy's armpit.  
  
The boy turned around and reached for it, perhaps to threaten the goblin with his own weapon as he had done to the previous one. It was a useless fight and he slumped to the floor temporarily knocked out.  
  
"That was an easy one." The first goblin said. "Damn kid cut me skin."  
  
"Lets bring him to the ship before he wakes up."  
  
"Good idea," Said the second one and gestured towards the other goblins to go. Then, he dropped the tranquilizer absentmindedly. It hit the floor with a thump.  
  
The boy woke up a couple of minutes after they tossed him in the cell. The Rebellion had obtained a section of the jail cells. All of them were empty except for this one.  
  
The boy got up and headed toward the door. One of the goblins grabbed him and threw him back inside.  
  
"Stay put if you know what's good for ya, mud kid." He snarled.  
  
He watched him lie down on the cot, beaten. Walking away, he noticed two other members. A goblin and a dwarf. . "Are you sure it's Artemis we kidnapped?" He hissed. "He's not even scheming to get out or anything. We've got the wrong person."  
  
"It doesn't matter. He was found in Fowl Manor. He has to know something of about The Weapon, but even if he didn't I'm sure that someone in the house does know. We might have the right bait to bring down the real Artemis."  
  
"If we just got the real Artemis, we wouldn't have to deal with kidnappings and such."  
  
"If we just got the real Artemis, Ms. Koboi would consider us failures. And you know what happens to failures." 


	4. Past Tense

4  
  
Past Tense  
  
Present  
  
Brandon sat in his cell. He was bright, above average IQ, but he was certainly not his father. Where he was and why he was there were unanswered questions.  
  
Was he part of a ransom attempt? His family was rich, yes, but how did creatures like those that had kidnapped him know him? Or more specifically, know his father? He was sure he had heard his father's name in their conversations.  
  
The door creaked opened. This was odd. Usually when he was fed, the captors sled in some horrid drink through a slot.  
  
One of the creatures came over and grabbed Brandon by the neck of his shirt and grabbed him, pulling him along.  
  
"What's going on?" Brandon asked.  
  
"Shuddup." The creature responded. "Ms. Kaboi wants to see you."  
  
Back at Fowl Manor, Holly got up from her chair as if to leave.  
  
Artemis looked at her. "Do you know anything at all about the captors? The Division of Darkness, as Root would say?"  
  
"We're not sure if they're the people responsible for trying to sabotage the Project. The Division of Darkness is more similar to the mob than the people we saw before. And even if they were, which is a decent chance, it's a bit hard to assume that they would get mixed up with you and your son."  
  
"It could be Kaboi." Butler said.  
  
"Butler, if no one informed you on this, let me tell you now." Holly said. "Opal is insane."  
  
"Well, of course." Artemis said.  
  
"Forgive me, I meant even more insane."  
  
"How so?"  
  
"Straight-jacket material." Holly said. "Several goblins brutally attacked her, leaving her traumatized. She jammed a hypodermic syringe into an orderly's neck and escaped."  
  
Artemis looked at her. "Any chance at all that she could be responsible?"  
  
Butler nodded. "It seems possible, considering the situation we're dealing with."  
  
Artemis looked at Holly. "This is largely based on hunches here, but if we are dealing with the same people as before, is Opal completely out of the picture?"  
  
Holly caught herself staring at Artemis's left leg uncomfortably, reminded of what happened before. Artemis shifted his leg aside. "No, she's not. I could see her doing...what happened before."  
  
Juliet came in. She had planned on pretending on just stopping by, but couldn't.  
  
"Is it true, Artemis? Is our son kidnapped?" She began sobbing, and Holly looked at her with a matter of distaste.  
  
"We're going to get this all worked out, Juliet. Don't worry." He said, reassuring his frantic wife. "Right, Holly?"  
  
"Exactly." Said Holly with a somewhat forced smile that Artemis didn't catch.  
  
Before  
  
Artemis sat hunched away at his computer. The teenager had just hacked into an elderly gentleman's bank account. Grinning, he eagerly moved his victim's assets into his account. Then he set it up to look like one of his classmates' IP address.  
  
Butler caught Artemis' expression. "A little masterminding, eh? What's today's fiendish plan?" He said with a grin.  
  
"Oh, nothing of the sort." Artemis said. "Just helping father with the bills."  
  
"That's nice of you." Said Butler, one of his eyebrows arched up. "Did you get a job?"  
  
"Where's the fun in--" Artemis began to say when he stopped.  
  
"What's the matter, sir?" Asked Butler.  
  
Artemis looked outside the window. It appeared that no one was there.  
  
He walked down the stairs and opened the door.  
  
"You can come in, now Captain Short."  
  
"How'd you know I was there?" Holly reappeared.  
  
"I've seen enough shields to last a lifetime." Artemis said. "So, what's the deal? Or did you just come for caviar?"  
  
Holly made an expression of disgust. "No, thanks. I came here to ask you for a favor."  
  
"What favor?"  
  
"The LEP is planning on creating a machine. It's top-secret, and we're trying to avoid breaking any laws. Some of the materials are of the human variety, and we're not planning on doing mesmers in case something goes awry."  
  
"So, you just came here for some gadgets? Or is there more?" Artemis said.  
  
"We would like to ask your help, but Root thought you were too humble for the job."  
  
Artemis grinned; imagining what Holly had to do get to the Manor.  
  
"Is that a yes?" Holly said.  
  
Present  
  
The dwarf dragged Brandon across the ground. He passed two goblin guards and into a corridor. At the foot of it was a door.  
  
"Ms. Kaboi?" He called.  
  
"Yes?" Said a voice behind the door.  
  
"Uh, you wanted to see...Artemis?"  
  
"Of course, you fool." Said the voice. "Bring him in."  
  
The door opened and Brandon was thrown in complete darkness. He could barely see. He felt across the wall for some sort of light switch.  
  
"Don't bother." The voice said. It was a calm voice, a mask hiding true lunacy. "I prefer the dark.  
  
In Fowl Manor, Holly turned to leave. She stared at Artemis and Juliet. She had deep feelings for him once, but she had pushed them away. Such relationships would put her jeopardy. Yet, she couldn't deny feelings of affection for him and a feeling of jealousy towards Juliet.  
  
"Thanks for your help." She said. "We'll try our best to help, and promise you Brandon's return."  
  
She put her shield on and Artemis saw the door open.  
  
"Wait!" He said.  
  
"Yes?" Said Holly, putting her shield off.  
  
"I'm coming with you." Said Artemis.  
  
"But, sir..." Said Butler. "After what happened last time..."  
  
"I'm going, Butler. My son is in danger. If you want to stay here with Juliet, I'm not stopping you." He put on a coat.  
  
Butler followed Artemis and the fairy, and shut the door, leaving Juliet alone. 


	5. The Project

5  
  
The Project  
  
Present  
  
As Artemis went out, he unconsciously felt a string of some sort around his neck. He pulled it out, revealing a necklace. There was a gold coin in the middle of it. The string went through a large hole in the center.  
  
Artemis remembered when he had first gotten the coin. He had been thirteen years old, and Holly had shot a perfect hole through the center of it. It was supposed to symbolize Artemis in a way, in that between all his layers of deviousness there was a spark of decency inside.  
  
The little hole had gotten a bit bigger since then, Artemis noted.  
  
"...so you'll need to swallow these," Holly said handing the two some pills.  
  
"I'm sorry?" Said Artemis as if coming from a daze.  
  
"You'll need to swallow these so the conditions underground won't kill you."  
  
Artemis took one and Butler took another. Artemis chewed on it. It felt bitter in his mouth. He swallowed it with a gulp. A minute later, it felt as if he had another layer of skin on him.  
  
Holly led the two through the forest pushing aside at the branches. At a certain point, she held out her hand, and pressed a small button on her glove.  
  
A ship that wasn't there a second ago suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Artemis guessed that she had deactivated a shield.  
  
"Get in." Holly said. "You remember the procedure before, don't you?"  
  
Before  
  
"So what's this top-secret project, Captain Short, that was so important to the LEP?" Artemis said getting in the passenger seat next to Holly.  
  
Holly seemed a bit stressed out, and didn't bother to tell Artemis that civilians sit behind the yellow line.  
  
"This is a bit hard to explain, but it's supposed to open a portal to any specific area. If we're in a war zone, and one person is behind enemy lines in a prison of some sort, we can just go through the portal and grab the prisoner and bring him back with the other side not noticing."  
  
"That's it?" Asked Artemis.  
  
"No, not quite. If the controls are modified, a specific object from the other side, can be brought in forcefully. For example, if we need to bring in a criminal and we know where he is he can be sucked in to our side before he knows what hits him."  
  
"How far are we on this?" Artemis asked. "Does it just require energy to run it, or is it still on the drawing board?"  
  
The ship burst through the ground and went deeper and deeper.  
  
"We're rather stuck in the middle. We're missing some pieces to it that humans have."  
  
"And this is where I come in?" Artemis asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I get it. If you went above ground, you could be caught. The person you go to could be wearing sunglasses of some sort to block it. A mind wipe could be used, but that would make this project you're working on better known. Am I right?"  
  
"Right again, mud boy." She said with a grin. "I hoped you buckled up now, because if I do this turn wrong your heads will go up through the ceiling."  
  
Artemis tried putting the seatbelt on, but discovered it was too small for him. The realization dawned on him just before the ship zoomed sideways and around a corner.  
  
Present  
  
Brandon was inside a very dark room. He could hear the hum of machinery and the buzzing of computers. Glowing computer screens gave a bit of light, but barely enough to see.  
  
"Hello, Artemis." The voice said.  
  
Brandon looked around. "Uh, I'm not him. I'm his son."  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"You've got the wrong guy."  
  
There was a sigh of impatience. Then there was a tapping of keys, and a beep.  
  
Two goblins stood outside the door. One opened the small hole in it.  
  
"Yes?" He called in.  
  
"I told you to bring me Artemis. Instead you brought me his son." The voice said.  
  
"B-b-but we tried telling you that, but you insisted Artemis was still a boy." One of them stammered. "And this was the only boy inside the mansion judging from the photos on the wall."  
  
"I did, didn't I?" Purred the voice.  
  
"Y-yes."  
  
"Hmm...I must've made a mistake, didn't I?"  
  
"Uh, yeah. You probably did."  
  
Brandon looked around in the direction of the voice but it seemed to be all around him.  
  
Then, in the farthest corner of the room, near the ceiling were two eyes. One was twitching. Brandon thought the voice was going to scream, but when her voice came back it was calm.  
  
"I never make mistakes. You must've taken the wrong boy."  
  
"Ma'am, I don't know much on humans but I do know they grow into adults."  
  
The two goblins stood outside the door waiting for a response. Instead, two small instruments came out of the wall.  
  
They were a bit small and seemed a bit like security cameras. A red light flashed on in them. The goblins' eyes widened in terror.  
  
Brandon heard the blast, but he didn't hear any screams.  
  
"They talked back to me." The voice said, as if explaining a fact of life. "That was rude, wasn't it?"  
  
"Yes," Said Brandon. "Very rude."  
  
"So," The voice said. "If you're not Artemis then who are you?"  
  
"I'm his son."  
  
Brandon felt something push against him (he thought it was machinery, but it was too dark to tell) and slam him against the wall. He slid down, and if he had hit headfirst he would've been seriously injured.  
  
He shakily got up. "What was that for?"  
  
"For telling me something I already knew!" The voice shrieked. "Of course you're that idiot's son, you told me! I asked 'who are you?'"  
  
"Brandon." He said. "Brandon Fowl."  
  
"Nice to meet you, Brandon." The voice said pleasantly. "Has your father ever mentioned an Opal Kaboi?"  
  
Before  
  
Artemis and Butler sat in front of Root. Root looked like he was forced to talk with the two in front of him. Root's opinion of Artemis had changed a bit after the Arctic Incident but he was still cautious of the boy. Fowl Manor was still red-flagged to most of the LEP.  
  
"Let's get things straight, Fowl." Root said. "Is there anything you want in return for your services?"  
  
"I want a lot of things, Root." Artemis said. "But right now, I'm set, thank you very much."  
  
"What are you doing this for, then?" Said Root. "Charity?"  
  
Artemis put a hand on his chest in mock disbelief. "Is it so hard to believe that I come to help with no strings attached?"  
  
"Yes." Root said. "It is."  
  
Present  
  
Root got skinny.  
  
Artemis noticed several subtle changes since he left the Underground for good; Holly seemed older and weary, the technology seemed slightly better (at least in terms of transportation) among other things. Root's different appearance, however, showed Artemis how things had changed.  
  
At first he assumed that Root had finally put up with Foaly's constant jabs about his weight, and worked out a bit to lose it. Holly later told him a grimmer truth; that after Artemis left the anxiety and stress of everything, along with his weight, gave him a heart attack. Root spent months recuperating, along with some physical therapy. Fairy magic helped him out a bit, but he was never the grumpy 'Beetroot'. He was more likely a turnip.  
  
"I apologize for what has happened." Root said. "The LEP will try to find him. We doubt the kidnappers will harm Brandon, if they do think that he is you."  
  
"What happens when they figure out he isn't?" Artemis asked.  
  
Root didn't answer.  
  
He quickly changed the subject. "When Holly was gone, Foaly found activity going on in some abandoned jail cells."  
  
"So that means my son's being held there?" Artemis said, trying to sound calm and collected rather than eager.  
  
"It's a possibility." Said Holly. "Or it could be a trap."  
  
"If it is, its obvious they want me to go to them."  
  
Butler, who was apparently in deep thought for most of the conversation, opened his mouth to speak. "Artemis, if they do have your son and they realize that he is not you, they would probably want to negotiate with you. A ransom, perhaps."  
  
"Yes, perhaps." Artemis said. "I do not want to risk anyone's life on a guess."  
  
"Well," Said Root. "Your son's not coming back on his own."  
  
"I am perfectly aware of my son's conditions." Artemis said icily. "I am also perfectly aware he won't come back on his own, but when he does, I don't want him or anyone else to be brought back in a body bag."  
  
Before  
  
Artemis and Butler had been underground for a few moments only to find themselves buckling up again in Holly's cruiser.  
  
"What was the point in coming down here if we are going to come back up?" Artemis asked.  
  
"We needed to know if you were willing to help us." Said Holly. "And for you to know the whole thing. We're trying to run it as smoothly as possible."  
  
The ship zoomed up through the surface and out of the ground.  
  
Butler opened the door for the two.  
  
"After you, Captain Short." Artemis said in a mock curtsy.  
  
Holly walked inside and Artemis followed.  
  
Butler quietly closed the door. It barely made a sound.  
  
"What's the fairy doing here?" Said Juliet. She stood in front of the group with her arms crossed.  
  
"Still bitter over the mesmer?" Asked Holly.  
  
Juliet pulled at a blond tress of hair. "Of course not." She said, but the tone of her voice proved otherwise.  
  
"I'm just helping Captain Short here out on a project." Said Artemis.  
  
"What type of project?" Said Juliet, sounding a bit interested.  
  
"Its top-secret." Said Holly. "We're trying to keep it as under wraps as possible."  
  
Juliet stared at the fairy with a matter of distaste and walked off.  
  
After he saw his little sister was gone Butler asked Holly what materials they might need.  
  
"Nothing much at the moment." She said. "Just human energy sources."  
  
"Batteries, I presume?" Said Artemis.  
  
Holly nodded.  
  
He gestured at Butler to go get some, and Butler went off to find them.  
  
The two patiently waited there, keeping themselves silent for a couple of minutes.  
  
Holly noticed the gold coin hanging from Artemis's neck, the one with the tiny speck in the center.  
  
"You still have that?" Said Holly.  
  
"Why not?" Said Artemis.  
  
"Why not what?" Asked Butler. He carried a small bag filled with batteries wrapped in small packaging over his shoulder.  
  
"Nothing, Butler." Said Artemis. "Lets go."  
  
Holly turned off the ship's shield and the three got inside. All were silent on the way back.  
  
The ship landed underground. The three got out when a bullet zoomed by Holly. She could feel it sear right by her cheek.  
  
"Get down!" She called towards Artemis. He looked confused before it dawned on him. He ducked just in time. This time, a ray zoomed behind him. It burst through the rock.  
  
Several goblins burst out from hiding holding all sort of weapons; softnoses, plasma-cannons, smuggled human weapons, etc.  
  
"How could they know we were here?" Said Holly with disbelief, setting her gun to 'stun'.  
  
With perfect aim, she shot three goblins in seconds. Butler got out of the ship to notice even more creatures coming. He grabbed a rock, and threw it straight at a goblin's head. Maybe it would even get a concussion.  
  
The creature grabbed his gun and blasted it into several pieces seconds before it could crash against his head.  
  
Butler couldn't believe it. That was pretty, uh, he couldn't describe it."Smart?"  
  
Present  
  
Root took a foul-smelling cigar, and lit it with trembling hands. He began to smoke it, but he began coughing and threw it in the trash.  
  
"A-Artemis, I think we should go to the cells. It wasn't exactly easy to find. Perhaps it's not a trap."  
  
"Again, perhaps." Said Artemis. He thought a bit. "What about Foaly? I'm sure he could find out if the cells are guarded or not."  
  
Holly slapped her forehead. "Of course! I forgot about him for a second."  
  
Foaly didn't look that different to Artemis. He was still the cynical, wisecracking technological centaur genius from before.  
  
"We are talking about the jail cells in row D before they were taken off the network?" Asked the centaur, rubbing his chin.  
  
"Yes." Said Holly.  
  
"First of all, I need to convert the system to an earlier date. When the cells were still in the network."  
  
He typed a bit. "There. Now lets access the network."  
  
He typed some more. "Now...lets view the jail we're talking about."  
  
A 3D view of the jail cells appeared. Foaly moved the POV around to show the group how it worked. It was like a time machine, viewing the cells way back when.  
  
"Impressive." Said Artemis. "But we need the current view, not a historical one."  
  
"Hold your jets, smart guy." Said Foaly. "You didn't let me finish."  
  
Foaly entered what looked like a form of jumble. The screen changed. It was very similar to the first screen, yet the 3D animation was crude. Large, gray blocky areas moved sluggishly around. "Ta-daaa."  
  
"What is it?" Asked Butler.  
  
"It's the jail cells now, isn't it? The reason why the animation looks so primitive is because no one is working on it." Asked Artemis.  
  
"Correct." Said Foaly. He controlled the POV around the cells.  
  
Every cell was empty.  
  
"Sorry, Fowl." Foaly said. "We know at least some of them are in hiding over there. But Brandon is nowhere to be found."  
  
"Wait." Said Artemis. "What's that?"  
  
Two gray blocky areas were walking with a red one in the middle. What could have been a door opened, and the red area was thrown in the cell.  
  
"I-Is that Brandon?" Artemis asked.  
  
Foaly didn't have to answer. Artemis saw the answer in his eyes.  
  
"What do you think we should do, Artemis?" Asked Butler.  
  
"You know what I think."  
  
Holly turned around. "What happened to the 'I don't want anyone in body bags' we saw before?"  
  
"Before, I was sure that they had planted booby-traps. But they have nothing waiting for us at the moment, judging from Foaly's program."  
  
Alas, Artemis was wrong on this point, as he was to soon find out.  
  
With Brandon locked in his jail cell again, Opal typed away at her computer.  
  
Even with her face shrouded by the darkness, Opal's grin stuck out like diamonds in a pile of coal.  
  
She looked through her records of old newspapers and found the article she was looking for.  
  
The headline read:  
  
COUNTLESS LEPRECON CASUALTIES DURING TRAGIC ACCIDENT.  
  
Under that in smaller letters;  
  
'Mud Boy horribly injured in the crossfire'.  
  
"Happy times. Right, Artemis?" Opal said with a grin. "Happy times."  
  
She shut the computer off, bringing the entire room in darkness. 


End file.
